Who doesn’t love cheap frills? I’m into frills of any kind, but the thrifty ones are the best! It was my turn to set this month’s Thrifty Six theme, so that’s what I chose. I found this blouse on Vinted last year. It’s by the label Elsa.m by May, a brand I first discovered in a shop that I visit in Madeira. As it turns out, quite a lot of shops stock the label and there are also plenty of pre-loved items on Vinted.
This blouse was only about £4, so I didn’t hesitate in buying it. The fabric feels nice on and not like it’s highly flammable, as you get with some cheaper brands! I wore this outfit to work at the weekend; it was a cold day so I wore my jeans, which are quite a thick denim. Because the barrel leg jeans are slightly cropped, I opted for a woollen jacket rather than a coat, just to balance the proportions. The orange trainers and hat “bookend” the blue (some call it “sandwich dressing”). I don’t wear this classic navy jacket enough; it was such a great charity shop find. It’s really warm and goes with almost anything, although orange and blue seems to be a favourite combination of mine! (I’ve previously worn it with orange trousers and these trainers.)
I was glad I’d worn a warm layer because there was a half marathon about to start right outside the building where I work, so the car park was closed and we had to park further away. We had to elbow our way through all the runners who were all tightly packed together, limbering up ready for the off. It certainly brought back memories of marathon running – not all good ones! Waiting around in the cold wearing thin lycra is no fun!
SHOP THE LOOK
Elsa.m by May blouse (Vinted) | Marks and Spencer jacket (charity shop, similar, similar) | River Island jeans | Superdry trainers (similar) | Fenella Smith bag | hat from eBay
“There was a time when I would have NEVER worn ruffles of any kind. I didn’t consider them professional so I never bought them. After retiring, it’s been freeing to incorporate all sorts of styles into my wardrobe. For this prompt, I decided to concentrate on women who don’t love frills…I paired them with other styles so they wouldn’t be too girly. This is one example where I included frills in a more masculine look. Everything except the vest is thrifted or preloved.
“I am not a frilly type so I had to dig deep into my closet to find a preloved something with a hint of frills. This thrifted floral dress has a bit of frill connecting each of the tiers as well as frilly flutter sleeves. I added a super frilly scarf which was not preloved but was definitely cheap! I bought it for a few dollars from a New York City street vendor about 25 years ago, making it just as budget- and environmentally-friendly as buying secondhand!”
“Cheap frills…..okay, just had one item and no time to search for something on Vinted. So how to make it work! I actually like frills on blouses, picture Prince back in the days. Or even further back: Adam and the Ants!! But no frill blouses in my closet, say what? So I came up with this look and I have to say, I am loving it. Can’t even be bothered with all the lines you see through the silky skirt. But I am wearing a dress! I also wore it for the “Animal Prints But No Leopard” Thrifty Six theme last year!”
“I’m not a frilly girl, but I do like a feminine floral print in a skirt with a bit of flounce to it, like this thrifted Talbots skirt that I styled for winter with a black top and textured tuxedo jacket (both also thrifted). My look has its usual maximal vibe with a layered necklace (all made by me) and two scarves – a print infinity scarf with a thrifted pink striped scarf wrapped around it. The structured black pieces help offset the sweetness of the pink florals for a fun juxtaposition of an outfit.”
“I’m shameless…
The T6 theme for February is ‘Cheap Frills’, so how could I not slip into a cheeky pair of vintage frilly knickers…
These frivolous frills were never designed for show, but I like to shimmy them shamelessly on the outside for all to see!”
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Oh, my gosh! That blouse is just plain gorgeous! I love the the frill around the yoke and the flowers (?) on the bodice! Wow! It’s even more fabulous in this shade of orange. Such a good combination, Emma!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Great colour combination! I like orange more and more. And the girly frills and jeans are a perfect contrast!
Love the orange! It looks so nice on you!
Jennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
Oh my gosh, Emma, this is such a fun outfit! I also love navy and orange together. It is a really striking combination. Orange and blue are the school colors of a local university so I see the combination frequently in stores near me. I love the giant ruffle on your blouse. It is so very you as is that amazing orange plushy bucket hat. So cute! This was a fun theme!
Shelbee
I love how you styled these thrifted pieces—such a fun way to showcase creativity on a budget!
Orange is not a great color on me, so I get a cheerful vicarious pleasure from seeing you rock that color! The blouse is stunning, and I love how you styled it with blue.
Definitely my sort of top. It’s stunning! I’m on the hunt for frills now Emma xx Jacqui
Thanks Jacqui! It’s definitely worth looking on Vinted!
I went to the University of Tennessee for my Bachelor’s degree and we are really big on ORANGE at UT. Absolutely love your orange look. That darling cloche really frames your face so well. And that blouse is DIVINE. It is hard to find the exact shade of orange to represent the UT but I believe your shade is perfect. Might have to borrow your look some time!! Thank you for sharing with us for Ageless Style this month.